9to5 Georgia is building support statewide for a Georgia Work Credit that would provide a bottom-up tax cut to working families by reducing taxes for families that are struggling to make ends meet because of low-wage jobs. Nearly 1.1 million Georgia families, representing 28% of all households, received the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in 2013. These same families stand to gain from a Georgia Work Credit (GWC).
Through our statewide campaign we hosted town hall meetings in Atlanta, Albany and Savannah, reaching over 150 participants and collecting dozens of personal testimonies about the need for this bill. We tabled at community centers, churches and partner organization events to make presentations and share literature on the GWC. We collected 377 petition signatures and 20 personal letters of support to send to legislators from across the state.
We brought 30 members to the Capitol for a grassroots lobby day, and participated in a community meeting in Savannah with Rep. Ron Stephens, a co-sponsor of the bill. Through a social media campaign we reached thousands of followers and collected 50 online petition signatures.
The Georgia Work Credit is an important economic equity campaign that directly supports our mission and core values. This policy is an especially critical work support for young parents, military veterans and low-wage workers trying to keep their families out of poverty.
During the 2019 legislative session, our campaign gained significant momentum. The Georgia Work Credit (HB 588) was the first bipartisan EITC bill introduced in our state. Due to Georgia’s two-year legislative cycle, the bill remains viable to become law in the 2020 session. The momentum and support 9to5 Georgia helped to create will help to ensure a bipartisan passage of this bill.
